Writer's Workshop: Describe A Favorite Halloween Costume Or Moment You Wish You Had On Video

It's Thursday, which means Writer's Workshop day over at Mama Kat's. Head on over and see what all the fuss is about, and take your pick of super fun prompts to write about. I actually enjoy doing this every Thursday. It's quite fun! This week is a little different, because there is a giveaway for a Flip camera going on, so don't forget to link up, and leave a comment over at Mama Kat's answering the question at the end of her post! I actually have a Flip that David bought me for my birthday this year, and I LOVE IT! In all honesty, I'm still trying to figure out all the editing and things like that (March was my birthday..Can you tell I can be slightly technically challenged?) but the camera is GREAT! It's tiny and portable, I can take awesome videos of the kids and I can grab stills to use as pictures. However, like I said, I'm still figuring it out..lol..

Alright, onto my prompt. I chose Describe a favorite Halloween costume or moment you wish you had on video.

Now, in all honesty, Ethan's only been out trick or treating for 2 years. He started at 5 and this will be his 3rd trip out to make the candy rounds. There haven't been a whole lot of moments in that little time span that I couldn't catch with a simple snap of my camera. Besides, it's kinda hard to chase down a running 5, 6 and now 7 year old to get them to tell the camera the best thing about Halloween and catch anything memorable. He's too jazzed up about the free candy that goes in his bag to care about anything else. So, here's one from my fuzzy little 3 year old memory. My mom has pictures (that I unfortunately have no copies of but want) of me getting ready for Halloween when we lived in Washington state. My dad was in the army at that time, and was getting ready to take me out to make my candy rounds. My mom thought I would be the cutest clown. She found me a cheap clown suit, my dad found a wig and I was just excited because Halloween meant I got to be up past bedtime and have candy while my baby brother stayed home and went to bed when my mom put him there. Well, the costume went on. My parents ood and aaahd with fake parental enthusiasm and applauded of my silly clown tricks. I giggled. Then, my mom brought out the makeup, and I started to SCREAM like a banshee. I was TERRIFIED of the makeup. I didn't want it near me. I thought it was going to hurt. So, in order to help me with my fear of the dreaded clown face, my mother put the makeup on herself. This, I of course, thought was silly, so I let her put it on me too. It wasn't bad. It didn't hurt. My dad took pictures of us. First, of me screaming like there was no tomorrow, then my mother putting it on, and then applying it to me. After countless pictures, I went out, collected my candy and came home to fall asleep still in full clown face. Now, I'm pretty sure if that was on video, it would have embarrased me for years to come, so I catch myself looking at those pictures and thinking, "Thank YOU for not being able to afford a video camera at 18..It saved me the embarrasment of having to see this during my teenage years in front of my boyfriends."

Dear Labor

Dear Labor,

For the majority of yesterday, and today, I've been contracting. While this may be great fun for you and all your little labor fairy buddies, it is not great fun for me and my aching back. Nor is it fun when I have contractions consistently for over an hour and BAM they're gone. It makes me wish that you were, indeed, a real person so I could punch you in the face and be on about my business. Instead, my back hurts, my butt hurts, I'm tired, I'm sore and my breasts feel like they are getting ready to fill up the minute I deliver. Actually, that part I don't mind so much. I do need the food supply for baby. However, the other crap, that can go away. Really. So, here's how we make it go away. You quit making me just feel like I'm gonna burst, and actually send a little labor my way, and I'll cry, sweat and push out a little bundle. Then, I might actually be able to rest a few hours while bundle is swaddled warmly. I could use this. I'm not getting any sleep with what you are doing to me, and I'm not going to be sleeping for a week after baby is home. I'm actually HOPING with all HOPE that my water breaks in the middle of the night. I don't care about the mess, I just want it to happen so I can get this show on the road. I'd love to have this baby on Halloween, but with these contractions and the annoying, "Totally labor...HaHa YOU THOUGHT" you keep pulling on me, I'll take what I can get.

Signed,
Mother to be about to reach in and grab baby herself

I Win Again!! And Why Your Husband Should ALWAYS Buy A $50 Bedframe For A New Mattress

I won another give away! YES! I'm so excited. Born2Impress was having a giveaway for a Bebe Au Lait Nursing Cover. I entered. I wanted to get a nursing cover so I'd be able to nurse out and about without having to throw a blanket over myself. I mean, my aunt and other mom's I see in the stores nursing with a blanket over themselves and baby are MUCH more talented than I. I'm always fighting with the blanket, wondering if the leftover baby belly is showing and wishing I had just gotten a dang nursing cover. I mean, really, it would have been a great investment for someone uncoordinated like me who didn't want to be giving everyone at Carter's a show. So, when I saw this giveaway, it was meant to be. I entered, and I found out this morning that I WON! WOOT WOOT!! I'm so excited. I can't wait to recieve it. I opted for the Chocolate Mint pattern. It looks like this:
I am so excited! SO EXCITED! I'm so happy I've won these wonderful things to help me with our newest addition. They are going to be such a help! And, now maybe David won't be so paranoid about me breastfeeding in public. He's not a fan of it. But if my baby wants to have a meal, I'm the food source, so my baby is going to have a meal.

Point #2 in my title: When your husband decides to buy a new mattress when your in laws come to town, MAKE HIM BUY A $50 FRAME!! We have an antique bed frame with a headboard and foot board in Claire's room. We moved Claire's crib into Ethan's room so my MIL could have her own room while she's in town. Before she came, we went out and purchased a new full size mattress set at Slumberland. Well, I tried to talk David into buying the $50 bedframe. The antique one was pretty much shot. It had cracks in the wood supports. It was squeaky. It probably has some emotional and physical scars from my SIL's ex husband. He refused. He said it was an antique. His dad bought it for him. He needed to keep it. It's his bed..BLAH BLAH BLAH. He said he could fix it. He put a bunch of screws and split the wood even more and told me it was perfect. I just told him it wasn't going to hold. Tonight, my MIL goes to bed, and about 20 minutes after she goes into the room, I hear "AHH!" THUD!! The bed BROKE! With her ON IT! She's fine, but the bed is done for. Gone. Fineto. We had to take the whole thing apart and lay the mattress set on the floor. David is at work, so until he calls me on his next break, he's in the dark about what happened to the bed. He'll probably end up going out and buying the $50 bed frame so his mother can sleep without having the mattress on the floor. All I have to say is, he wouldn't be in this mess now if he'd listened to me, the logical one that I am, and bought the flipping $50 bedframe when I told him to. His mom wouldn't have crashed to the floor while trying to sleep. I wouldn't be blogging about it now for others to have a good laugh at. Oh, you can laugh. I am.

39 Weeks And A Pumpkin

My MIL took Claire and I to the doctor today. It went much better than last weeks scream fest (remember, babies+doctors=Not a good idea!). Claire stayed in the lobby and played with my MIL, while I went in and had my appointment. Baby still head down? Yup. Heart rate at 135. That's 5 below last week. Get checked? Sure did, and was surprised to find myself at 3. I thought I'd only be at 1. He said I've thinned out an awful bit too. I'm guessing this baby is coming this week, and pretty soon. My MIL says tomorrow, my SIL says the first and her husband think Thursday. I think I just want to hurry up and get into labor. Come on little one, let's get this show on the road!!

In Halloween news, Ethan had his annual pumpkin carving extravaganza with my SIL. Every year she takes him to Wal-Mart, and they pick two pumpkins. The week before Halloween, if my MIL is in town, he spends the night, and if she isn't, we go over for the day, and they scoop and carve. It's become a tradition. I'm sure as all of our kids get older, there will be carved pumpkins littering their steps. Ethan actually carved his own pumpkin this year. Don't worry, she buys the pumpkin carving kit, so it was a super tiny blade that was being used. The results turned out great!The pumpkin he is touching is the one that he carved. My SIL did the final touches on little parts he couldn't get to. My MIL took all the pictures with my camera. He did a great job! This is the thing he looks forward to most all year. Pumpkin carving is the favorite. He asks about it for months, and when October comes around, it's all I hear about. I'm actually looking forward to Halloween this year as well! I can't wait to see his costume! Even if we are expecting snow Halloween night.

TWOC Week 4:: All About The Food

TWOC you ask? It stands for Twelve Weeks Of Christmas. We're on week four, but that's OK. You can still play along. Head on over to Red Writing's blog and see what all the fun is about.

Click here to learn more!

This week it's All About The Food. I'm a big fan of holiday food, and holiday candy. So, here are a few things I enjoy!

CANDY--Mmmm..Holiday candy. Everything is minty or chocolate, or mint AND chocolate. I like standing in the Christmas candy aisle before I grab the bags I want/need and taking a deep breath of all that minty air. Then, there is my personal favorite, the Snickers Santa. Oh yeah...I buy those things like they're going out of style. I put them in the kid's stockings, and hide some for me. The best. My grandma mails the kids and us each a solid chocolate santa. I save the kids for stockings, and put mine and David's in the freezer. We each enjoy them on Christmas morning. Well, Claire didn't last year. She was only 8 months on Christmas. This year she might get enjoy a little.

CHRISTMAS BREAKFAST--On Christmas morning, we have a big breakfast of eggs, bacon, toast, orange juice and sometimes pancakes. Ethan takes a brief break from trying to get me to rip open boxes of toys and put batteries in them to help make toast and stir pancake batter. We might watch a Christmas special while we have our breakfast.

CHRISTMAS DINNER--When I had dinner with my family in Arizona, it was always at my grandma's. My grandma would make a ham. My great aunt would show up with a turkey. They would argue about why one made a ham, when the other was making a turkey. Without fail, it happened every year. My grandma made a ham, my great aunt showed up with turkey. There was always lots of leftovers. Here, every year, we take a vote, ham or turkey. We have mashed potatoes, gravy and stuffing. I make deviled eggs and we have cheese and crackers. We celebrate, just the four of us, quietly.

And, that's it. All about the food. I can't wait for Christmas.

GMYBS

GMYBS you ask? Give Me Your Best Shot hosted by Lolli over at Better In Bulk:

Click here to learn more and take part!

Claire found David's X-Box 360 headset. He plays video games..A LOT!! He plays video games online with his friends back in Arizona..A LOT!! Anyways, Claire likes the headset. She's been wearing it around the house the last couple of days talking to herself in it. Mostly it's just the few words she knows (hi, daddy, thank you, all done) mixed with lots of baby babble. I had to tie the cord up with a bread tie so she could walk around and keep from stepping on the cord. I grabbed the camera and snapped the pictures. Isn't she cute? I love it! Of course, her brother was uncooperative in the picture taking arena again this week. Hopefully I can get a shot of them together, again, soon.

Writer's Workshop: Describe How Motherhood Changed You

It's Thursday. David and Ethan are off to Minneapolis to pick up my MIL from the airport, Claire is taking a nap and I just got 15 minutes of bliss in a shower with no interruption. WOO!! Now, I'm blogging. Since it's Thursday, I'm doing the Writer's Workshop brought to you by MaMa Kat. I can never get her button to work for me, so click her name and head on over and see what's the Writer's Workshop is all about. This week I chose the prompt, Describe How Motherhood Has Changed You. Let's begin.

Motherhood has changed me in a number of ways. I was 19 when Ethan was born. I was still a teenager, teetering on the edge of adulthood and hadn't found my footing on the road to being a grown up. I didn't know what I wanted to do, who I wanted to be and who I was going to become. I mean, people probably figure that stuff out before the age of 20..I had no clue. Then, they put him in my arms, and that was it. Who I wanted to be, what I wanted to do and what I had become was a mommy. There he was, all 7lbs 11oz of him, cradled in my arms, waiting for me to teach him things and watch him grow, and I grew up and learned lots in the process. Two kids and one on the way later, I'm still learning, but here are some bits and pieces I've picked up along the way:

-You can't control everything that happens. There's bruises, scrapes, bumps and bloody noses. There's vomit, poopy and disorder diagnoses. You roll with the punches. You give boo boo kisses and learn about those disorders. You ask questions, seek answers and move forward with with positive attitudes. You help your child embrace who they are, so they can flourish into who they are to become.

-A puppy probably isn't the best Christmas present for a 5 year old, but his sister will love that the dog is around when she's 1.

-Do as I say, not as I do doesn't work on 7 year olds. They will almost always do as you do, and talk back at what you say.

-Elmo and The Imagination Movers are the greatest inventions. Claire could shake her little tush with The Imagination Movers all day.

-Always insist on an X-Ray if your doctor tells you he "thinks" your child has the beginnings of pnuemonia. Also insist on a stronger antibiotic than amoxcillian.

-Pregnancy does weird things to your body, but that little person you meet at the end makes it all worth it.

-Make your kid's lunch at night. There's too much zombie going on in the morning not cut a finger when you're cutting up apples.

-Toys will always find a way to be stepped on.

-Cookies will always get an 18 month old out of hiding.

-Sleep is a girl's best friend.

And...That's really all I can think of right now. Time to get the house spruced up for my MIL.

I WON!! SHUT UP!!

Yesterday, I wrote a Tribute Tuesday blog and posted a link over at Mayhem and Moxie. When I posted my link, I noticed they were having a give away in honor of the new movie Motherhood starring Uma Thurman. The giveaway is for Muslin Swaddling Blankets. I checked them out, thought they were lovely, and moved on because I've entered TONS of giveaways out there in bloggy land, and never have I won..UNTIL TODAY! Yeah baby. That's right..I won me some swaddling blankets. I checked my e-mail this afternoon, and there it was in all it's glory..The e-mail telling me that I had won the Aden + Anais Zoo Swaddling Set:
Aren't they cute!? And, also, very gender neutral, which I need because I'm going to be surprised here in about 11 days (or less). I was actually also just thinking that I needed to add blankets to our list of needs. So, our list of needs now includes bottles, bottle brush and newborn sleepers. I think we should also get a carseat cozy cover. It's bound to be super chilly when we leave the hospital. I'm really not looking forward to that at all. We also still need a swing. It looks like we'll be stuck using our travel swing. The big swings are just too expensive. And, the prices just get crazier and crazier...I mean, seriously, I really don't need an iPOD dock on my freakin' baby swing..Thanks.

Anyways, I'm super stoked about those blankets. I can't wait to get them in the mail. Speaking of mail, we should be receiving Ethan's Halloween costume tomorrow from Amazon. We had to break down, suck it up and buy the Ghostbusters costume. That sucker cost us $33.99. Insanity..Plain and simple. David sold some stuff on e-bay so we could purchase it without having to use our bank account. The sacrifices a daddy makes so his boy can be an icon from the 80's, early 90's. Whatever, it was video game stuff, and I'm SO tired of having all that crap around the house, and I'm not sad to see some of it go. I'm really excited to see Ethan in that costume though. I think it's going to be hysterical. Let's hope next year, he picks something cheaper to be, or that my crafty skills will be up to par enough to make something. I broke out the sewing machine again in an effort to try and practice some more stitching. I got so frustrated. The thread is so nice and straight on the top, but when I flip my fabric over, it's all loose and pulls out. I really need/want to figure this out. I'd love to start making Claire pillowcase dresses.

Tribute Tuesday: Guilty Pleasures

Tribute Tuesday is brought to you by Mayhem & Moxie. I tried to post the button, but it didn't want to work for me today. Click on the name to head on over and have a look around.

Anyways, this weeks topic is guilty pleasures. I haven't taken part in a Tribute Tuesday in quite awhile, but I'm feeling the urge to blog and have nothing to blog about, so thanks Shea for posting Tribute Tuesday, because now I can do it too!!

Anywho, here are a few of my Guilty Pleasures!
Victoria Secret Body Butter. This stuff is the best. I use it everyday. The only scent I really like is Vanilla Lace. If I get a gift card to VS for the holidays, it will probably all be spent on this right here. No joke.
Snickers candy bars. It's a pretty solid given that I will never leave the grocery store without one. Also, if these tasty little snacks happen to go missing from Ethan's Halloween candy, I'm most likely the culprit.

Horror movies. Even if it's terrible, or been said to be terrible, I will most likely watch it. I don't know why I put myself through it if it's been said to be terrible. I guess I have to see for myself. No matter how cheesy, lame or stupid the movie really is, I will watch it. I have all of the Horrorfest movies on my Netflix queue, ready for viewing.
And, finally, there is blogging. I've come to fall in love with my little corner of the blogosphere. I blog, people read, people enjoy, people comment and follow. I've also found some blogs that I rather enjoy as well. Blogs that have made me put up my feet and stay awhile...Awhile being Sesame Street hour, naptime and bedtime. David makes fun of me, but WHATEVER HOMIE, I'm lovin' it!

38 Weeks..WOO HOO!! And Kleenex Is My Best Friend!

I've officially hit 38 weeks. To celebrate, I got to go to the doctor. YEAH!! I'm not a fan of the weekly appointment. I wish I didn't need to go every week. Today was a treat though. I had to take Claire. We strolled (well, I strolled, she rolled in the umbrella stroller) into the office, checked in and had ourselves a good old time laughing it up for no reason in the waiting room. She ate Kix and giggled, I giggled with her and got, "Look at that CRAZY lady!" stares. Whatever, I was playing with my daughter. If you don't like it, you can stare at blank walls and be bored. We were having a good time. The nurse calls my name, and away we go. I get weighed. I HATE THAT PART!! If I wanted to know how big my ass was getting, I'd weight myself at home. She takes us to a room, does the usual question/answer routine, pulls out the blood pressure thing, and Claire FREAKS out. She starts screaming and grabbing my pant leg and burying her face in my knee. When the nurse leaves I relieve her from her stroller and we read the book that's on the table. Then my doctor comes in. All he has to do is say hi, and she's all over the place crying again. I actually had to take her up onto the table with me so that he could listen to the babies heartbeat. I was going to ask to be checked today, but no such luck with her having a meltdown. I now have to wait until next week to be checked. It's not really a big deal. I was going to have him check me just because we have my niece's birthday on Wednesday, my MIL coming into town on Thursday, pumpkin carving at my SIL's on Friday, and my niece's birthday party on Saturday. I just wanted to know where I was at. Apparently, Claire could care less. Don't take your 18 month old to the doctor. It's not a good idea!!!!

In the cold department, I'm feeling a little better. My throat no longer hurts, and my cough it getting better. I still have an insanely stuffy nose and a small cough. Kleenex and instant hand sanitizer have become my best friends. We watch Friends together. We laugh. I cough when I laugh, and hand sanitizer comes to my rescue. I blow my nose, and Kleenex is there for me, followed by hand sanitizer. I drink tea, and they wait patiently for the next time I need them. We're best friends. Totally. Hand sanitizer is making my hands a little raw, but as long as I'm not hacking into my hand and touching things that make others ill, we're all good. I can always use lotion. Claire is starting to get a runny nose, but she's been her happy, bubbly little self, so it's not much to worry about I don't think. If she were ticked off all the time, then we'd have a problem. She's been using hand sanitizer too. I think just because I use it. She likes lotion, and I think she thinks that's what it is. As long as her cold goes away in a couple of days like everyone else's, we're good.

TWOC Week 3--Accent Craft

I heart Christmas with a capital HEART! So, I'm taking in part in the Twelve Weeks Of Christmas. Want to take part in the fun?

Click here to learn more and join in!

It's week three, accent crafts. Now, I'm not a super big crafter, though this year, I'm going to be. It's all about homemade gifts this year because, well, we need to spare some cash. Also, what mom/grandma doesn't love a little homemade goodness. My mom still has pictures I scribbled and gave to her as gifts as far back as age 2. Serioulsy. Boxes full. I go through them with her when I visit. Anyways, since I'm not a big crafter, I have really done much in the way of making accent crafts or things I can decorate my home with. This year, I'd like to get crafty with my bad self and rectify that. The kids and I will probably hit up Michael's with my MIL when she gets to town. But, since I wrote about the name on the Christmas balls in my last post, here are pictures of Ethan decorating the tree last year with his ball and his sister's ball.

I haven't yet taken the time to scratch off the color around the names yet. I plan to do that sometime before the end of the year. I won't be done before Christmas because, well, I'm going to have my hands full with a toddler and a newborn all day. Hopefully, I'll be able to get it done before the next Christmas comes around. I'd like to get all the color scratched before then. I'll be lucky if I get it done before the end of this year. I'm also afraid that I'll break the damn things. With my luck, that's exactly what will happen. I'm so clumsy! Seriously..I trip over stuff without moving. It's a gift I guess!

Well, I'm off to nurse my cold some more. I hope it goes away, and soon. Very, very soon. I hate being stuffed up. The plus side, Claire is still in the clear. Let's hope she stays that way. Hopefully she got her daddy's immune system and not mine.

It's A Yucky Feeling Day!

We had a bit of an H1N1 scare in our house this week. Ethan came home from school on Thursday with a cough, a fever, a runny nose and a sore throat. I called the pediatrician to see if I should bring him in. They transferred me to a nurse, who gave me the run around on symptoms that I should be looking for. I got frustrated. David called me on his break. I told him what was happening. He got me a number for a nurse line through Target. I called them. SO MUCH MORE HELPFUL!! They told me that since he had a fever and a cough, to quarantine him. Into his room he went. His humidifier was filled and turned on. He had his water, his blankets and his movies. He was a pretty happy camper. They told me if he got worse the next day, to call them back and they'd help me out with his symptoms and let us know what we would need to do. The next day the fever was gone and the sore throat went away, but the cough and the stuffy nose were still there, so he was home from school and we kept him in quarantine. David was the one taking this into the room, out of the room and just generally helping. We got Ethan face masks to wear when he came out to get water, snacks and use the bathroom. He spent his time watching movies and playing. I know he was bored, but he was such a trooper. Today, the cough was the only thing that remained, so we came to the conclusion that he just had a touch of the regular old flu, and let him out of his room. The cough is MUCH better than it was. I attribute that to cough meds and his humidifier being on for 2 1/2 days.

So, the bad this about this whole fiasco is that now I am sick. My throat hurts, I'm terribly tired and my body hurts. I've been trying to keep myself covered up around Claire because I'd love for her to avoid catching this if at all possible. We have a birthday party for my niece on Saturday, and if Claire's ill, I don't want to be taking her and exposing other kids to her. Hopefully, I'm feeling much better by Thursday when my MIL comes to town. I'm hoping it only lasts a couple of days. I don't want to deal with this cold for a long time. It seems like I like to get sick before giving birth though. I got a horrible cold with both Ethan and Claire about a week and a half before they were both born.

Give Me Your Best Shot

It's Friday, which means it's Give Me Your Best Shot day over at Better In Bulk. Want to take part or learn more?

Click here to read and take part. It's a lot of fun...DO IT!!

Anywho, here is my picture of the week!
It was after dinner, just before bath time. Ethan got that remote control dinosaur for Christmas 2 years ago. It was a sweet deal that David found on clearance for $25 bucks. Seriously, how awesome is that price tag!? Anyways, Claire thinks the dinosaur is hysterical. Ethan brings it out of his room and gets it moving around, and Claire will come from whatever corner of the house she's in to touch it, laugh at it, clap her hands..Etc..She's just all around amazed by this silly thing. It keeps her entertained for hours. I love watching them play with it together.

Writer's Workshop--Tell Us The Story Of Your Birth

Still don't know about the Writer's Workshop? Head on over to Mama Kat's to get the full scoop and choose your prompt. This week, in honor of the new movie Motherhood starring Uma Thurman, all prompts are mommy themed. I've chosen the prompt Tell Us The Story Of Your Birth. Now, seeing as how I was the one being born and all, and I wasn't really there to experience the birth, all I can tell you are the bits and pieces of the story leading from when my mother found out I was coming along to when I was actually born. You can find the birth stories of my own children here and here and soon to be front page news.

So, here are my bits and pieces of a birth story.
*My mother found out she was expecting me at the just turned age of 15. She told her mother (my grandmother) that I was coming by buying her an elaborate card, popping the note from Planned Parenthood inside and giving it to my grandmother as she was hastily pulling it out of the driveway to run to work. My grandmother, ever the impatient one for cards, read it before she was even halfway down the street, and almost crashed her car. She told me she has never read another card in the car since.

*After the initial shock of teen pregnancy, my mother's family (especially my maternal grandfather and my uncle) began to stock up for the arrival of myself. My mother and father found out I was to be a girl, and everyone bought dresses. My grandmother bought clothes for a boy. No joke. I have pictures of myself dressed as a boy. My mother would leave me in a pink dress, and come home to me wearing jeans and a football shirt.

*I was almost 2 weeks late in arrival. When the day came, my mother arrived at the hospital to be greeted by a very rude doctor on duty. She was in pain, and he kept insisting on trying medication. She refused. She wanted my birth to be natural, without any medications whatsoever. I don't know what kind of medications they offered in the early 80's. Finally, he started telling her that if she hadn't been stupid and careless, she wouldn't be a pregnant teenager giving birth, and there wouldn't be any pain. He said this in front of my grandmother. Big mistake. She took him outside for a "talking to" and he came back as pleasant as ever. Don't mess with grandma. She'll throw down like no other!

*I came into the world on March 24th at almost 7PM, weighing in at 7lbs some odd ounces and 21 inches. There are pictures of both of my grandfather's glued to the viewing window outside the nursery waiting for their first glimpse of me. The smiles on their faces when I appear is magical. Then, there are pictures of them exchanging cigars. It's a series of my favorite pictures. I'd love to have them copied and framed so I can hang them. My mother told me when she came to visit after Claire was born that my birth was painful, long and strenuous. She ripped severely, and remembers whispering to me that one day she hoped I had a birth just like mine. I did. Claire's birth was painful, long and strenuous. She apologized, and we laughed.

Well, that's it..The scraps of what I've come to collect from my birth. I'm sure I've been told the whole story repeatedly, but I just don't remember it all. I like the scraps though. They are the best parts. They have the things that made my birth truly memorable for everyone.

The Nesting List Is COMPLETE!!

I did it. I finished my nesting list. All three pages, all crossed off. Ahhh..Now I can relax for a few minutes before I'm chasing down Claire or helping Ethan with homework. I think the baby may appreciate that seeing as how I've been dragging the vacuum over here, or dusting over there, or bending down for way to long to wipe this cabinet down on the china hutch. Now all I have to do is keep up on the housework, which really hasn't been too hard. Ethan's been following his bedroom chore list. However, the way he makes his bed kills me, so after he leaves to catch the bus in the morning, I remake it. I can't help it. He's been excellent about picking up his toys at the end of the day and make sure all his dirty clothes are in his hamper. We have, however, had a bit of a problem in the bathroom. Why is it so darn hard for boys to pee in the toilet? I just don't get it. When he goes sometimes, it's EVERYWHERE, and I'm so not even exaggerating. Today, he peed all over the floor, all over the bottom of the toilet, around the rim of the toilet, and on the wall behind the toilet. If I didn't have to use clorox cleaners to clean the damn toilet, I would have made him do it, but I do use them, so I did it. Then, I had to mop the floor, which is just all too fun. Well, I actually like to mop because I get to use my Swiffer Wet Jet, but COME ON SMALLS, go wee in the toilet.

Aside from the bathroom mishap though, I've been cleaning up the library books and toys after the kids are in bed. I do the dishes everynight after dinner, and every morning after breakfast. Every other day, I sweep, mop and vacuum, which is pretty easy to remember. I just think, "Alright, the kids have baths tonight. Sweep, mop, vacuum..Clean kids, clean house." In the morning I also pick David's flipping shoes up out of the middle of the living room floor, contemplate hurling them at him, and then return them to their proper resting place, the shoe rack. On Saturday's I do laundry and spray bathtubs with Tilex, clean toilets and mop bathroom floors. Yes, every Staurday, I do laundry. It's not typical for me to do it every Saturday, it's usually every other Saturday, but since the baby is coming soon, I'm just making sure that everything is cleaned and put away in it's proper place so my MIL can find everything the kids need while she's here. You know, bath towels, sweaters..Etc..Which reminds me I need to make a phone list to hang on the cabinet so she has all important numbers as well. I'm also considering making a weeks worth of lunches for when she's here so all she has to do is grab and pack Ethan's lunch and we won't have to worry about throwing a 20 in his hot lunch account. I'd have to make a list of what goes in his lunch box for her too. I'd just pack the chips, fruit snacks and sandwiches and pop them in the fridge for easy access. She can grab a bottle of juice and a banana from the pantry.

Well, it's been a long night folks, and I'm ready for some rest. I'm going to watch Ghost Hunters and the read some of my book.

The Nesting List Is BACK!!

The nesting list was able to come back and make a full recovery today thanks to our newly purchased trash bags. Today I started on the final rooms. The master bedroom has been cleaned and organized. I went to Target today and bought one of their Halloween totes (on sale for $4) to store Claire's toys in the living room, which emptied out the Pack N Play/Bassinet and I was able to move it back into the master bedroom and set it up. So, the bassinet is ready. How much use it will get is beyond me. I always nursed the kids in bed with me, and they usually ended up there with me until morning. The few neutral outfits we have are washed and put away. The burp cloths have also been washed and stored in my nightstand for easy access. The only things left we need are another diaper wipe box to keep in the bedroom for late night changes and some newborn diapers. David is going to go to Target once I have the baby and we find out boy or girl and pick up a coming home outfit. The only room I have left to get down and clean is the master bath, and then EVERYTHING will be cleaned, and all I need to worry about is general upkeep.

I also need to get my hospital bag ready. I don't know why I've been procrastinating on that! I need to get to Target and buy some of the little reusable bottles for travel shampoo's and stuff. I forgot my shampoo and body wash last time and had to used the hospital stuff, and I hated the way it smelled. Two days of using that stuff was just not for me. I also want to buy a cheap-o toothbrush and some toothpaste to stuff in my bag, along with deodorant. You'd think this would be stuff I remember, but no. I forgot every single one of the items with the other kids. I'll be remembering them this time. I like to smell fresh, even if I'm having a baby. I'm weird like that.

Snow Is Not My Thing And Listen Here Oven!!

It's been a long day. I woke up to snow. Lots and lots of snow. I'm not a fan of snow. It's October 12th. The earliest it's ever snowed since we've moved here. When we first moved up in 2006, it snowed a few days before Halloween, and then not again until the end of November. That I can deal with. I was also supposed to have a doctor's appointment today for my 37 week check, but when I left I realized that I A) Forgot my cell, and I refuse to drive in the snow without it for just in case purposes and B) There was a semi blocking my path to the main highway I need to be on to get to my doctor. Seriously, just right there in the road. I think they may have been loading something from one of the farms near us, because they were precariously parked near the farm, kind of in the drive. Still, annoying as all get out. Don't these people know I have doctors to see. I'm full of baby and 3 weeks from popping. Get out of my way and let me get to the damn doctor!! When I finally was able to turn around and come back and grab everything I needed, I would have been seriously late, so I called and canceled my appointment. My next appointment is on Monday, and I've already decided that since we have important things going on next week (niece's first birthday and first birthday party, MIL coming into town..etc..) I'm going to go ahead and be checked, just so I know where I'm at in the baby game. I still don't feel like a whole lot is going on. I've been having some mild braxton hicks contractions, but nothing that's making me scream or think big things are happening. Mostly, they are annoying. Really, really annoying. I know if all I'm thinking are that they are annoying, I'm really not in labor. As long as I go into labor after the 24th, we're all good. I'd like to avoid having this baby on my niece's birthday (the 21st) and also the day of her party (the 24th). Think Halloween. That's when I'd really like to have the baby. I don't know why..lol..But, if I do go into labor on Halloween, I can watch Ghost Hunter LIVE in the hospital..Woo hoo!!

Please enjoy open letter #2 to my craptastical oven!

Dear Oven-

You must go. You are horrible. You stopped working, then all of a sudden, you're heating ways are back. I'm thrilled. I make peanut butter bars and casseroles. Everything is hot and yummy. Today, Ethan and I decide we are going to make daddy's ET Bars and some Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies. Today is the day that you, AGAIN, decide that you are over working. You are in protest. I have cleaned you in the hopes of you working. Maybe you need a bubble bath. Instead of thanking me for your sparkling interior, you turn your nose up at me and pretend you are heating, when in reality, you aren't. I was going to make chicken enchiladas for dinner, but instead we must resort to pizza from the gas station. Do you know what kind of heartburn I get from that? I can't wait to get rid of you. I can't wait until something new comes along. You are old, and useless and so ANNOYING. I want to kick you metal ASS!!

Certainly NOT Yours,
Chantel

Twelve Weeks Of Christmas--Week 2--Christmas Memories and Traditions

Twelve Weeks of Christmas is brought to you by Red at Red Writing.

Click this button to learn more.

This weeks theme is Christmas Memories and Traditions. So, why not write about both!

In my family, for as long as I can remember, it has been a tradition to go to my grandmother's house 2 weeks before Christmas to decorate the Christmas tree. It's a tradition I remember fondly, and have greatly missed in the 3 years since I have been living in Wisconsin. She always calls me the day they decorate the tree when she's pulling out the decorations to tell me how much she's going to miss me that day. Everyone has a ball with their name on it that my grandmother has painstakingly taken the time to scratch off the color over the name, and carefully hand written everyone's birth year. We each hang our own ball, and have a picture snapped of the moment we put it on the tree. After the tree is decorated, we take family photos in front of it and have a big dinner. There's always lots of laughing, and I always liked to sit back and watch everyone during those times. This was my family. These were the people, that no matter what I did or who I became, always loved me, and I always loved them. If I stumbled and fell, they were always there to pick me up and help dust me off.

My fondest Christmas memory is the last Christmas I got to spend with my grandfather. My grandfather was one of my most favorite people in the world. He was a truly amazing person, and I couldn't have asked for a better person to call grandpa. When I was 16, he was diagnosed with cancer. They found a tumor on his brain. We found out the year I graduated high school that he was terminal. He vowed to make it to my graduation, and he did just that. My grandma told me that he was so proud in the stands, telling everyone around him that I was his baby girl, and trying to wave to me as I walked through the sea of faculty to my seat on the football field. He beamed with pride in all of my pictures during my party. He told me he didn't like that I was grown up. Almost 7 months later, Christmas came around. I found out that I was expecting Ethan. The first people I thought to tell were my grandparents. I was nervous, because I was only 18, fresh from high school and trying to find my path to adulthood. I didn't know what to say, or how to say it, so I kept myself quiet for the entire day. We enjoyed family, friends and presents. My grandfather and I sat side by side, exchanging stories of Christmas past, watching the lights on the tree. I remember feeling so comfortable with him in that moment. Not that I'd ever felt uncomfortable before, but then I just knew that I didn't have to say anything about what I was thinking or feeling, and he understood. When everyone had gone, and my grandparents and I were settling down to the dining room table to talk at the end of the night, I told them my news. They were both shocked, but understanding and supportive. The look on my grandfather's face though was just something unexplainable, but I knew just by looking at him that he knew he wouldn't be here when it came time for me to have my baby. He'd put everything he had into seeing me graduate, and there just wasn't anything more for him to give. He made it to March. Ethan came in August. I remember my grandma holding him and talking about my grandfather, and how proud he would have been, and I thought of Christmas. Christmas also just so happened to be his favorite holiday. So, here in Wisconsin, I've carried on the tradition of Christmas balls with names and whenever I decorate my tree, I always think of my family in Arizona, and my last Christmas with grandpa.

I love my mother!!....And Halloween costumes cost WHAT!?

I got a package from my mother today. I registered on Target.com for some of the small things we need for this baby. You know, sling, baby monitor, food processor for homemade baby food. If we don't get everything we need off the registry, Target will send us a 10% off coupon for whatever we still need on the registry. The only thing I didn't put on it was bottles, because they are all the new green bottles or glass bottles, and I wasn't about to spend crazy amounts of money when I go to buy a bottle (seriously, $54.99 for one set!!!). Besides, I plan to stick myself to nursing exclusively for the first few weeks. I'll be pumping as well when my milk comes in, because I've never had a non-painful engorgement period where I'm not making crazy amounts of milk. Anyway, so my mother asked what we really needed, and I told her I wanted a sling so I could be hands free, but still have baby near, and we needed a new baby monitor, because Claire's is just not as good as it used to be. So, today I get my package, open it, and to my surprise there is a Hotsling and a baby monitor. I just have to say, I love my mommy!! She's so excited to be a grandma again, and she always sends wonderful things my way if I need them. The Hotsling was also just what I wanted. I'm super excited about it!! I've been peeking at their website for MONTHS just wishing for one, and I've also read and heard nothing but wonderful things about them. I can't wait to put mine to use. I'm also excited about the monitor. I could really do without all the static. Really. It's very annoying to hear when I wake up for my nightly potty routine. I wake and hear that annoying sound. I can hear it in the bathroom. I can hear it when I close my eyes to go back to sleep, and it gets worse in the morning when Claire wakes up and starts playing with her musical toy in her crib..Then it's static and annoying Leap Frog songs.

By the way, has anyone seen the ridiculousness that is the price of a freaking kids Halloween costume? Ethan decided that he no longer wanted to be Wolverine, and opted instead to be a Ghostbuster. Over the summer we decided that he was old enough to watch Ghostbusters with us on family movie nights, so after Claire went to bed, we popped popcorn and had ourselves a Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters 2 viewing (on different nights of course). He now thinks Ghostbusters are the best things ever invented. David and I have been turning ourselves inside out trying to find a Ghostbusters costume. The cheapest we've found is on Amazon for $33.99. Free shipping and tax..But $33.99!!! That's INSANE!! We told him he needed to pick a back-up costume in case Ghostbusters just couldn't be done. He chose Super Mario, which at $24.99 at Party City was much easier to swallow. I really need to get my creativity into gear so I can just start making costumes, because the prices on these things is getting CRAZY!! I can't even bring myself to spend that much on a pair of pants, and I wear those everday. Honestly, the most I've ever spent on a pair of pants in my lifetime has been $15.00. I try to buy on clearance, and if I can't find them on clearance, I don't buy them. Before I found out I was expecting, I purchased 3 pairs of jeans at JC Penney for $15.00 total. You really gotta dig in those shelves, because they hide clearance in there really well. I just can't fathom spending twice that on something he is going to wear once to grab candy and never look at again.

Nesting has been put on hold until Monday. I ran out of garbage bags with the insanity I was going through, and since Ethan is home for the weekend, I just don't have the time to run through my list with him following me. Claire is a bit of a "helper" but her brother just wants to follow, ask questions, and bring toys to where ever I'm cleaning. Funny, I thought it would be the toddler and not the 7 year old making a mess behind my cleaning.

Give Me Your Best Shot

What is Give Me Your Best Shot? It's hosted by Lolli at Better In Bulk. You share your favorite picture of the week, head on over to Better In Bulk, link up through MckLinky and VOILA your photo is shared. Then, you can go through and take a peek at other participants photographs if you'd like.

Here is my shot for the week:
While I was making my peanut butter bars this week, Claire was running around my legs. She went over to the tacks that I have aprons hung up on (gotta have aprons for kids when it comes to baking and art stuff) and brought me this one. I put it on her, and she was a happy little camper digging through my utensil drawer and bringing me can openers and ladels. I didn't really need a can opener or a ladel, I had my trusty pastry spatula, but, of course, that didn't deter her from brining them. Hopefully, next week, I can actually get a shot of both kids..TOGETHER!!

Writer's Workshop--I'd Rather Be Doing_____Then having Sex With David Letterman

Don't know what the Writer's Workshop is yet? Well, head on over to Mama Kat's and take a peek. Every Thursday there are new prompts, and I happen to think it's a lot of fun to do! After you're all done, you head back on over to Mama Kat, sign Mr. Linky and take a look around at what everyone else wrote for their Writer's Workshop. Some of them can be pretty funny. Anywho, this week I chose the prompt:

The top ten things I'd rather be doing than having sex with David Letterman
(David Letterman is not on my list of attractive people. I find him plain boring. And, what the hell is the dealio with that Paul Schaffer guy? Man, is he ever annoying. Does he have a jingle for EVERYTHING!!!???)

And AWAY we go::
10) I'd rather be tied to a chair, listening to Paul Schaffer's annoying jingles and jokes.
9) I'd rather hang out in a room full of crickets, and crickets scare the poo outta me! No joke!
8) I'd rather be on a delayed flight with a screaming toddler and a 7 year old asking, "When are we leaving?"
7) I'd rather be listening to my grandmother discuss Shaquille O' Neals rookie season. She follows the man's career like he is a god.
6) I'd rather watch Star Trek with David.
5) I'd rather organize 1,000,000,000 rainbow colored thumbtacks..By color.
4) I'd rather be subjected to the maniachal ravings of the homeless guy I met when I was 16 at the bus stop.
3) I'd rather be hit on in the bar by drunk dudes. At least they are semi entertaining. If they aren't vomiting.
2) I'd rather listen to Eric The Midget on Howard Stern. That guy is pretty flipping annoying too.
1) I'd rather be there during the awkward Courtney Love incident where she decided it would be a great idea to be hammered and dance around on his desk. Oh, she also showed him the girls, and I think her bits and pieces. Classy lady that Courtney Love.

It's all about Conan for me. I wouldn't want to do him either, but he's pretty darn funny in my book. He needs to get back to driving his desk. He also needs to be careful when racing Terri Hatcher in socks. Leads to concussions apparently. The show he did after that incident though..HYSTERICAL!

And, just for the hell of it, the nesting list--Day 4--Page two is just about complete. I finished cleaning my laundry room. I was right, it did scare me a little. But, everything in it has been rewashed and put away for actual use!!! I'd like to start on the master bedroom tomorrow, and I'll most likely get to the master bath on Sunday..Possibly Monday. We'll see! Now, I'm going to enjoy my Glee on the DVR, because, yes, I am a total GLEEK.

The Nesting List--Day Three..And I Got Another Award!!

Well, I didn't get as much done on my nesting list today as I would have liked. My living room is pretty damn clean though. I also decluttered my counters. The only paper left on them is the coupon I printed out from Purex, which will be going into my coupon binder when I am done here in blog land. The only things left on page two of my nesting list are the kitchen, which shouldn't take too long at all. I need to clean the microwave, the counters and organize my pantry and then I can move onto my mess of a laundry room, which is going to be a task in itself. It's so messy in there! Really, it scares me. I don't know what half the crap that's accumulated in that room is. Ethan's got his Superman sheet set in there that I washed last month and told him to put away..See how well kids listen? My vacuum has been getting quite the workout, and still have more to go. It's me and my Dyson, taking on dust bunnies and dirt with it's hepa filter and allergy association approved goodness. I need to vacuum the edges of the kitchen. Some of the cupboards and the pantry floor. Man, does it ever get dirty in there. It's like that's where the dust bunnies are running to hide. Don't worry, Dyson has Dust Bunny radar. He seeks, and destroys. Seriously, I love my Dyson. It's the one vacuum we bought that isn't a piece of crap.

Anywho, onto more exciting things, like my AWARD!!

I'm so excited! This is award numero dos for me! Yay! It was given to me by Kylee over at The Life Of A Proud Young Mommy. I came across her on SITS awhile ago, and have been reading ever since. It's all about her life as a Teen Mommy, and it's well worth a read. So, head on over and check her out.

The rules of the "One Lovely Blog Award" are: Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

So, here are my peeps!
Shea at Lovin' Every Minute Of It
Halle at HouseCapated
Tracie at From Tracie
Erin at The Mother Load
Paperbackwriter at In Progress
Speaking From The Crib (And join in on the wal-mart caption goodness..It's fun!)
Liberty Original (I can only hope my radom stitching turns into something like this!)
Nanny Goats In Panties (I think goats are pretty damn funny!)
The Ashdown Bloggin' Blogger Blog
Red Writing (The Twelve Weeks Of Christmas..Do it! So fun!)
K A B L O O E Y

And, that's all she wrote folks. I don't really have any other awesome new blogs that I read. The others already have this award. So, enjoy!

Nesting Update And The Twelve Weeks Of Christmas

It's official..I'm cleaning crazy. I've been getting crap from David about my awesome, typed, nesting list. I understand it's not normal, and I'm OK with that. David has taken it as an opportunity to bug me at every possible turn with it though. Like, leaving his shoes in front of the rug that's in front of our front door instead of putting them on the shoe rack. I see them in the morning and have an incredible urge to take them into the bedroom and throw them at him. He's also decided it's REALLY funny to leave his socks out in the living room as well. I just can't even explain how annoyed it gets me. Anyways, here's my updated list:Yes, that is the whole front page, done since this afternoon. Claire, my tiny cleaner with a dry sponge and fake spray bottle of "cleaner" has been helping me. Whenever I spray something, she does too, and we wipe with sponges. It's pretty cute. Of course, my camera wasn't handy, so no picture of that. Anyways, the top part of the list (bathroom) only has checks because I have two bathrooms I need to clean. One is done, the master bath will be done soon. Quite possibly on Thursday at the rate I'm going. I have no problems with that though..I just want to get it done so I'm not looking at everything and thinking, "Hmm..I wonder how shiny that gets?" I also put a wanted AD on Freecycle in hopes that I can find a small bookshelf and an over the door towel rack for Ethan's bathroom. We really need one for when we have visitors from out of town. So, the one thing not crossed off on that list is finding an over the door towel rack. I'm pretty sure I can pop the books into storage somewhere else in the house until I find a suitable bookshelf. We also need a toy box for all of Claire's toys we have in the bassinet/pack n play. We're kind going to need that for the baby, which means back into the master bedroom it goes.

In other news, I found a blog today that was advertising this blog called Red Writing that is doing this fun thing she is calling The Twelve Weeks Of Christmas (TWOC)

Click this snazzy little button to learn more!

Anywho, every week you write about the prompt, hook it up to Mr. Linky and be entered into a drawing for a little prize. I thought it sounded like such a fun idea, I'm taking part. So, here's my prompt. This week is Christmas Lists. Here's mine, about things I'd like:

1) A food processor. I really want to make my own baby food and save some cash.
2) A plane ticket to Arizona in March to see my family and attend my cousin's Bat Mitzvah.
3) The brand spankin' new Post Secret book. I have all the others, I want the new one.
4) For my mom to come visit and see her new grandbaby.

Yeah, I'm easy to please. For my kids I want:

1) The Fisher Price Grow With Me Kitchen for Claire.
2) GC for Ethan to get some new pants.
3) Books for both kids.
4) Anything besides a flipping video game for Ethan.
5) Anything Elmo related for Claire.
6) GC to Carter's for Claire and new baby.
7) More Spongebob DVD's for Ethan so he'll quit asking me when it's on TV. David killed me when he got rid of the package that had Nickelodeon on DISH.
8) New jammies for both kids. Especially Ethan. I'm so tired of arguing with the kid that it's cold and he really does need to wear a shirt to bed.

I guess that is about all. I love Christmas. Really, I do.

Can My Living Room Look More Like A Dump?

My MIL and hubby have decided that now would be a great time to have the rest of our boxes shipped from Arizona. She shipped 10 in total, we have received 8, we're expecting 2 more. They are full of crap. I've come to the realization that I need a bookshelf for the kids books as well as my own. My husband has one book, and one book only..Unless you count yearbooks, but I don't. I've got quite a few, including my copy of The Shining that I read over and over. Seriously, it still scares me every time I read it. I am in love with The Shining.

I fibbed yesterday. I said I would start my cleaning list Tuesday. Well, Tuesday came this morning. I got out of bed and just couldn't stand not doing something productive with the beginning of my day, so Claire and I spent some time cleaning her room and the hall closet and the bit of hallway outside of her room. I still need to measure her crib so I can see if we can get it out of the bedroom door and into Ethan's room for when my MIL is in town. Tomorrow I'll be cleaning the hall bathroom and trying to start on the living room, which is going to be a task because there are empty cardboard boxes in my way. I was going to take them out and put them on the curb with the rest of the trash, but it decided to start raining. I don't want to take them out and put them on the curb in the rain and have them get all soggy for the garbage man. Looks like I'll be taking them out to the curb while Ethan is getting ready for school tomorrow. I also need to get the vacuum that died after 4 months and the old box fan that Ethan stuff full of toilet paper a few years back out. Remember that closet I told you threw up? The fan was part of the vomit. I don't know how it made it into the closet. I don't remember putting it in there. Anywho, my list of crazy nesting chores will be completed, and soon. I'm surprised by how fast I'm working through it, and how much is being purged from my house. I freecycled stuff, but only one thing was taken. The rest will be gone tomorrow with the trash. I can't wait to get this place clean!

In baby news, my 36 week check went well. My doctor asked if I wanted to have my cervix checked, but I declined because I just don't feel like anything is happening yet. I'd like to have a Halloween baby. COME ON HALLOWEEN!! I've also been given specific rules by my SIL to not have the baby on my niece's birthday, the 21st of October, and not to go into labor until after her first birthday party has ended on the 24th of October. If I go into labor on Halloween though, I can watch Ghost Hunters LIVE in the hospital. Yes, I am a nerd, but I love me som Ghost Hunters!

WHATEVER WAL-MART and Total..Nesting..Meltdown!

Well, we went grocery shopping today. We would be Ethan, Claire and I. I'm not happy with my local Wal-Mart. In order to save some money, I always take empty water bottles and refill. I'm not about to spend .88 on a bottle of water. No way, no how. Not doing it. Well, the water machine was out of order. Did they bother to put a sign on it? NOPE. I asked an employee about it and go, "Oh, yeah, it's like, broken or something. Should be fixed on Friday." Well, dandy, but I want water today. I had to break down and buy two 24 packs of water bottles so we can have something to drink until then. Another thing I noticed while shopping was that Wal-Mart (or at least the Wal-Mart I regularly shop at) seems to be getting rid of a lot of their family size Great Value items, and upping the price of the smaller Great Value items, making the cost to buy more of that item the same as the cost of the national brand. I'm not stupid, I check my prices. Even with price matching and coupons, I'm still spending more at this store. What the crap?! I'm so fed up that I'm going to be doing some serious shopping at Cub Foods for the next few weeks. They had quaker cereal on sale for $1.98 a box today, and I missed it. I'm just going to grab a Sunday paper in the mornings, come home and pour over my ad, and go shopping in the next state. I'd rather get awesome savings than be raked into spending more on 3 boxes of mac and cheese to feed my family lunch. Mmmmm..No thanks! Bye Wal-Mart..It's been nice knowing ya! Yeah I can buy jammies and bread at the same time, but it's so not worth it anymore.

In other news, I've hit the nesting meltdown. I've got 4 weeks as of today until baby arrival time, and only 2 weeks until my MIL comes to town to help out. I've actually gone so far as to check out books from the library on cleaning and organizing. I don't really know what compelled me to do these things, but I did. I spent ALL day cleaning Ethan's room yesterday. Really..I'm not even kidding. ALL DAY!! You don't even want to know what his room looked like before I finished. It really looked like the closet, his dresser and his toy box threw up. I went through and cleaned it all. I picked through everything. I made piles for freecycle and trashing. Whatever isn't freecycled, will be trashed. I just don't need it hanging around my house anymore. I also made a bedroom chore list and taped it to his closet, so everyday he knows exactly what he needs to do before he leaves his bedroom for school in the morning, and before he goes to bed at night. Want to see my after picture (I didn't take a before, because really, it would have been any mom's worst nightmare!)..

I think Ethan's room was THE biggest project. Now that it's taken care of, I just have to do the general upkeep of vacuuming and dusting while he does toy and clothing pick up. I still have the rest of the house to do, for which I made this:

Yes, that is a list of cleaning that needs to be done. Yes, that is a staple in the upper left hand corner, which means that yes, it is more than 1 page..Three to be exact. I told you, I'm in meltdown mode. This list will get done. I had a similar one when I was pregnant with Claire, and I got it done it just over a week, and kept it up with the general upkeep and weekly bathroom and bedroom run throughs. I'm on this. I can probably get this thing done in about a week. WOO!! Just sitting here seeing the list on the screen makes me want to get up and clean, but I'm working from the back to the front of the house, and I'm sure Claire would not appreciate it if I woke her by cleaning the bathroom right now. Cleaning shall start Tuesday, since I have my 36 week check tomorrow.

I also checked out a Nestle Tollhouse baking book and made this yummy little number today::Mmmmm....It's Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars. You can't taste any of the peanut butter though, just all that chocolate. I probably gained 10 pounds just looking at it. It's really good though. Really. And, this is proof I can bake, but not cook.

GMYBS--Give Me Your Best Shot

Today is Friday, October 2. That also means today is Give Me Your Best Shot day over at Better In Bulk!

Click on this snazzy little button to head on over and read about Give Me Your Best Shot, participate and check out other pictures on the list. Here's my picture for the day:
Sometimes my little girl is just too sweet for words. She climbed up into my lap yesterday during Sesame Street and started rubbing her little nose on mine. I was lucky enough to have the camera within reach so I could take a picture. She's only done this one other time, and I missed it because the camera was on top of the entertainment tower.

Writer's Workshop: Create A Conversation Between This Couple

Today is Thursday, which also means it's Writer's Workshop day over at Mama's Losin' It and I chose the prompt Create a conversation between one of these three couples. There's also three different cartoons that come with them, but in order to see that, you'll need to head on over to Mama Kat's. So, here's the cartoon I chose:
My conversation is one that David and I have quite often, and it's also quite annoying. The subject of said conversation is ALWAYS the same, but may take place on different days, at different times, over different objects. No one's names have been changed, because, let's face it, you already know our names if you've been reading. Also, let's just say for conversations sake, that "David" in that cartoon is pointing at the PS3 instead of grass or carpet and cartoon me's hair isn't so fantastically 80's. Let's begin!

David: Hey, what happened to that Netflix movie I got yesterday?
Me: I don't know, you opened, looked at it and set it down on the counter.
David: Why do you always move stuff?
Me: I didn't move it. You opened it, looked at it and set it on the counter.
David: No I didn't, I opened it and put it over here next to the PS3 so I could watch it.
Me: No, you opened it, looked at it and set it on the counter.
David: No, you must have moved it.
Me: I didn't move it.
David: Are you sure?
Me: No, I'm not sure. You know, maybe I was sleepwalking and while totally out of it thought, "Maybe I need to watch The Office, see what Dwight is up to."
David: Leave the jokes to me, alright.
Me: Last time I saw it, it was on the counter.
David: Well, you lost it, you need to find it.
Me: Whatever...(Grabs red envelope off of counter).
David: I told you I put it on the counter.

Yes, that is how it happens. Yes, that is how it ends. Awesome, isn't it?